The Covenant: Aftershock
by Oracle4907
Summary: I was the Hierarchs loyal servant; they trusted me to destroy the human race. I fulfilled their request after I destroyed the humans on the Holy Ring, along with the demon and my separatist brothers. . But we had no idea there would be a resistance.
1. The last death

**The Covenant: Aftershock**

I was the Hierarchs loyal servant; they trusted me to destroy the human race. I destroyed the humans on the Holy Ring, along with the demon and my separatist brothers. I was ashamed to see their blood and honor run along the filthy corpses of the brittle humans. I am the Sangellheli Fleet Master of Glorious Onslaught, the fleet that fought bravely to the end of the ring. But our glory was shattered. We had no idea there would be a resistance…. My name, is Zuka Anthanee'.

Chapter 1: The last death

Dust and debris flew into the air as my Phantom touched down next to the crashed and burning Human vehicle. I stepped out; knowing my time was limited and slipping away fast, for the panels would soon fall out from beneath me. I walked over the corpse of the mighty Arbiter, blood flowing from the multiple scars in his chest and neck. I picked the traitor up, and threw him off the edge of the panels. I watched with grim satisfaction as the corpse fell into the flames. I watched until I could see the body no more. Then I felt something hard launch into my back. I tried to calm myself as the searing pain swept through my spine and to the rest of my figure. I turned quickly, and stared into the eyes of the demon, without the gold plating to shield his emerald eyes. The green armor was broken and lifeless. His face was bloody, his eyes full of defeat. I reached for the hilt of my energy sword. The human bent to the ground, and spoke.

"Spare me." It said, and threw its weapon to my feet.

I was shocked. Surely this human, who had killed thousands of my brothers and destroyed numerous artifacts the Ancients left behind, was not asking to be forgiven. I knelt down to the human, unleashing my energy sword as I did so.

"I have no need to spare your filth. The human race is dead after I kill you." I growled, staring deep into the pleading eyes.

The human grabbed the weapon in its left leg compartment. It fired multiple shots into my body, each bullet slugging into my energy shield. I brought the human to my grasp, and pulled him above the ground.

"Go to hell." It sputtered.

I slashed the energy sword through the human's bone and flesh, my rage letting go in a torrent, hearing a muffled scream as the heated plasma cut through the tissue and blood. The red liquid shot out of the human's severed head. The body fell to the ground, limp and lame. I turned and took quick strides back to the Phantom, the engines humming as it prepared for takeoff. It took only a matter of minutes to reach my Flagship. As we silently went into slipspace, the Holy Ark, that housed our Ancient's secrets, exploded quietly behind me, a spectacular show of fiery dye.

"Fleet Master, where shall we go?" A Sangheili clad in navy armor asked me.

"Earth. Let us bun the rodents and watch as their home world is turned to nothing but glass." I replied, and sat in my command center.

I walked to the COM center, and started broadcasting.

"Brothers, as well as the Unggoy and Kig-Yar allies! Today I have slain the demon! So ends the Human race! Our Covenant must be fulfilled! We will go to Earth and burn the Humans so that we are no longer opposed! Rejoice!"

I walked back to the starboard camera, where earth stood with hundreds of human ships.


	2. The Assault of Earth

"Burn them alive!" I yelled into the COM.

I turned to two Unggoy troops manning the weapons system.

"Charge all plasma! Set course for 0800 by 600!" I commanded.

All of a sudden I was thrown off my feet as my Flagship shook and rumbled.

"Sir, the humans have engaged! Energy shielding at sixty-eight percent!"

"FIRE NOW!" I screamed.

The plasma rocked the ship backward as it began its short journey to the human ship. It contacted, and spontaneously the human ship exploded.

"Status?" I asked the navy-colored Elite.

"Sir, we have allies closing in. Exiting slipspace in three….two….one."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw thousands of Covenant ships appear with me.

"Fleet Master, how may we be of service?" A few Elites asked me through the COM.

"Take out the human ships, then burn their world to ash!" I replied.

Covenant ship plasma tracked each and every one of the human ships until they were nothing but scrap heaps. The blood red energy then continued on through the dark void that was space.

"We have their puny lives in our hands! Bombard them!" I said to my fellow crewmates.

My ship circled the planet, along with my fleet. A human ship crashed into the landing pad on the stern of my ship. I turned to the navy Elite.

"Take care of my ship, Quntra Lomanee'. I will rip those humans apart. And hold the bombardment; Send down some reinforcements for me." I told him, and then walked to the airlock. There stood my new armor: the Arbiter's suit.

"You chose the wrong path, my brother. Father would be ashamed of you." I spoke quietly to myself, and then put on the armor.

I walked to the airlock, and stepped in. I was then teleported to the outside of my ship, where I saw the two metal human ships, where humans in ugly, bulky armor were grabbing heavy weapons and walking to the airlock. The commander, which was gold armored, turned and spotted me.

"We've got a hostile targeted! Engage now!" The human in gold armor yelled.

I swiftly leaped out of the way as bullets screamed past my shoulder. I took quick strides to the humans, pulling out a large Gravity Hammer as I did so.

"Holy shit, the thing's got a Hammer! Fall back!" One human yelled.

I lunged at him, simultaneously swinging the Hammer with as much power as I could muster. I heard a scream as the human was ripped apart from the distorted gravity. Blood splattered my face. I lunged at the gold-armored human, throwing him off the ship, in hundreds of bloody pieces. I ran to the last retreating human, and picked him up.

"You will pilot this ship and bring me to your Headquarters. If you do not, I will kill you slowly and painfully, making sure you survive to receive more agony." I growled into his ear.

Ten minutes later the ship lifted off the ground. I stared down as we entered the atmosphere. This was the start of the last Assault of Earth.


	3. The Oracle

The human ship slowly descended through the atmosphere, the panorama through the window suddenly turning red as the fire attacked the metal of the ship's hull. I heard the human piloting the ship speak words into the onboard COM system. I quickly grabbed his throat and pulled him into the air.

"You will say nothing but what will give you clearance, or I will kill you." I rasped, glaring into the human's surprised eyes.

He turned back to the computer and began docking the metallic airship on a human landing pad. I turned on my active camo and stepped out of the cargo bay, past human seating areas. I pulled my energy sword from my holster and ran into the compound. The first human I spotted was old, his hair gray. I slashed through his flesh and stopped, staring down at the name badge on his bloody shirt.

_Lord Terrence Hood. _

I stood from my crouch and continued on my way, ripping through Human skin in the cramped corridors. After hours of my campaign, I slaughtered the last human. Running quickly through the stairwell, I called for my Phantom dropship. I entered the airship, left the atmosphere of Earth, and gave the bombardment order.

I watched as the super heated plasma impacted the surface of Earth, The green and lush forests burning into nothing but hot rubble. Lights flickered and dimmed as the plasma hit Earth's cities. The blue of the oceans was replaced by red burning fire. Suddenly I turned to the northern side of the burning Earth.

"Scouts, Why is that part of Earth not glass?" I asked to the cruisers circling over the green speck.

"I cannot say, Sir. I will investigate." One Elite said through the COM system, and a cruiser dove into the atmosphere. I watched intently as it became a speck on the surface. All of a sudden, the scout exploded in a burst of blue flame. I turned to the COM system.

"All Cruisers charge your weapons!" I yelled into the COM.

I turned to Quntra Lomanee', and walked to the escape pod on the far right side of the controls.

"Keep the ship intact. If I do not return, you will be the new fleet master." I said to Lomanee.

"I will give my life for this ship, brother. Farewell." Quntra Lomanee' replied, bowing at my departure.

I stepped inside the pod, and watched as the metal closed and clamped me inside the small ship. I hit the ignition, and blasted off the ship. I watched as I descended into the atmosphere, staring down, as the green speck grew bigger and bigger. Finally, the pod's thrusters activated as I touched down for a landing. After activating my active camo, I cautiously stepped out of the pod. At the edge of my vision, there was a bunker. I jogged to the entrance, and stepped inside. I looked around this small instillation, and gasped as I stared into the long dead eyes of two long dead Sangellheli warriors. I jumped when I heard a voice say,

"_Finally, the Reclaimer is here! My Creators did not think that I was right about your race…. they believed I went rampant! They were wrong! Look at what you did to the pitiful Humans!" _

I turned, and stared into a glowing green eye of an Oracle.


	4. Forerunner History

Chapter 5: Forerunner history/Meeting with Truth

"Oracle? Why are you chained up in this filth?" I asked, my eyes following the tiny robot.

"I was captured by the crew of the disgusting human ship Spirit of Fire." The Oracle replied, following me as I exited the human compound.

I turned to the Oracle, stared into its eye, and called for a grav lift. As I ascended the atmosphere, the Oracle floated silently behind me. I looked down to the Oracle.

"The Spirit of Fire? That human ship was destroyed just as we bombarded this planet to rubble!" I replied to the Oracle.

"You did? My sincere thanks; those cruel beings were going to adjust my processor to work for them! Filth!" The Oracle yelled into space.

"Are you assigned to a holy ring?" I asked the Oracle.

"I was, it was Installation 06. However, I had heard that The Protector had fled Installation 00 and retreated to the recesses of my Installation. If we go there, we find The Protector. We must not dawdle." The Oracle replied, as coordinates were sent to my Flagship.

Soon we arrived in the bridge, a glistening purple room full of holopad showing numerous amounts of data. I quickly manned the Shipmaster's antigravity chair, and set the coordinates for Instillation 06. Space warped on the monitors as the Glorious Onslaught ripped a hole through space-time, and accelerated into the eerie dark abyss. I turned to Quntra Lomanee', who was bustling at the controls.

"How long will we have until our destination is reached?" I asked.

Lomanee' was about to reply when the bridge entrance opened. We bowed as our Prophet of Truth made his appearance. His Antigravity Chair floated a foot off the ground, making the glory of Truth even more humbling. He quickly asked Quntra to leave, and the Sangellheli Warrior complied. After My Ensign left, Truth began to speak.

"You have done well Officer, for that, I give my sincere thanks. The Humans were an abomination to our ancients. I remember the first battle of Halo, where the humans decimated our Fleet. Your race has always been the most Elite, but your race also can be manipulated. The Arbiter; your brother, tried to destroy your strong alliance with us. I'm glad that you have seen the flaws. Now, I am here for one reason, and one reason only. Where is the Oracle?" Truth glanced around the bridge.

The Oracle floated out from a maintenance hatch, followed by two Engineers, who floated out of the bridge, aware that a conversation was under way.

"Greetings! Are you sided with this Reclaimer?" The bright green eye glowed, casting a light on me.

"I am his head commander." Truth replied, and sent his chair floating up to look the Oracle in the eye.

The Tiny robot stared back into the Prophet's eyes, then turned back around.

"Your cruiser is acceptably close to my installation, I suggest you pull out of slipspace immediately." The Oracle replied.

I walked to the Slipspace controls, and pressed a glowing symbol to cast us out of slipspace. I turned back to Truth, but he had already disappeared, which he was known to do. I turned to the Oracle, who was staring me in the eyes.

"Oh no." It gasped, and a picture appeared on the front bridge screen.


	5. Little Resistance

Chapter 5: Little resistance

Flood-infected ships surrounded the Installation. I quickly spun to Quntra's direction, and the Elite was hard at work charging the lasers.

"Blast them!" I yelled

I turned to the Oracle, who was floating to the airlock, humming to himself.

"Where are you going?" I asked, stopping the robot in its tracks.

" I must make sure that the Protector is safe, and contain the Flood!" It yelled, and teleported to the surface.

"Prepare the ship for landing! We're taking this engagement to the ring!" I yelled to Lomanee', who began to make the ship's descent.

I felt the ship shake as it entered the atmosphere. I ran to the shuttle bay picking up A Fuel Rod Gun and an Energy Sword as I made my way down the winding purple corridors. As I finally arrived, other Sangheili were climbing into Wraiths and Banshees. One large phantom dropship took off as I jumped into my Banshee, with was equipped with an extra Needler turret. I hit the power symbol, and the Banshee Lurched off the bay floor. I felt the wind on my armor as I picked up speed, and the rush as my Oxygen tanks began feeding the air into me. I watched the screen as I made my way down into the ring. I decelerated as I entered low altitude, than cut the power as I landed on the floor of a Mesa. I stepped out, and into harsh light. As far as I could see in front of me was desolate and cold. However, as the ring's curvature showed more, I saw a large ocean, and beyond that, a large forest. I looked up at the large pyramidal structure looming over behind me. I turned, and the Oracle appeared in front of me, and led me into the structure as more Banshees began to land on the Mesa.

"Where are you bringing me Oracle?" I asked, as we trekked deeper into the labyrinth.

"You need a Class Twelve combat skin in order to engage the Flood. I have made one just for your kind." He replied, and a laser shot from his green eye to the locked doorway in front of us.

It opened with a hiss, and I stepped through. Standing in front of me was a suit. The armor was light blue from the thin but powerful layer of shielding. I pulled my energy sword and slashed it, but the sword just rebounded towards me. I pulled back the sword, and stared. There was a small opening for my eyes, with also had heat sensors judging by the faint rainbow tint behind the dark blue lenses. I stepped around it, and stared into the arm pads. There was a large beam fixture attached, and a Covenant COM pad had been placed in the right arm compartment. There were antigravity boots, which would allow for extended jump, and shock pads to withstand up to 3 tons. I stepped inside, and biometric scans engaged. After my vitals were scanned, my HUD popped up into my vision, with a crosshair in center. I walked, and felt power begin to generate in the suit's backup generator. I ran outside and jumped from the mesa. Speeding through the air, the antigravity boots activated, and I began to hover. I entered the Fleet COM channel, and began to speak.

"We will crush this parasite, once and for all! And after that feat, the Covenant will be the strongest force in the galaxy!" I yelled, and heard screams of joy back from the other Sangheili in system. I turned to the edge of the ridge, waiting for a mob of Flood to emerge. What I saw both angered and surprised me.

An army of Humans charged over the ridge.


	6. The Precursors

Chapter 6: The Meaning of Life

Quickly I turned to the twin Wraiths that were deposited. They were already moving towards the enemy position, and a sphere of superheated plasma soared into the air, hung suspended for a moment, and then swung down into the Human infantry. I heard screams as the plasma burned their flesh. Some humans were catapulted into the air. I began to run at the humans, and soon I was only yards away. I felt bullets slug into me as I stabbed my energy sword into human flesh. All of a sudden, I was thrown into the air, dust covering my vision.

I activated heat vision, and saw what had caused the damage. A Human tank had entered the battlefield, and shot a 200mm shell into my armor. The bent and smoking shell lay on the ground. I pulled out my Fuel Rod Cannon, and shot a volley at the tank. I large explosion shook the ground as the tank exploded. I looked behind me as More Banshees began to enter the fight. After no more than two hours, the fleet of Humans was reduced to smoldering corpses.

"Again, I applaud you!" The Oracle said, and chuckled.

"This is no laughing matter Oracle. The humans have put up a resistance!" I replied.

I walked to my Ghost, which was parked behind a Forerunner column. I entered, powered it up, and began the long way to the ocean. Soon it became dark, so I stepped out of the vehicle. Up above, right where the curve of the ring begins, was a whole colony of Humans. I turned to the Oracle, who was staring as well.

"We must kill them all." I said.

The Oracle replied in a solemn voice,

"This fight has proven to be strong. The humans have captured the Protector. You must go and take him back. He is…the only surviving Forerunner, the Creator of all you know. This world, it is hard to understand. War and huger rage among us all. But we must realize who is dominant in the cosmos. That is your Covenant. But for it to be fulfilled, the Protector must be saved." The Oracle stared into the light for the speech.

"Oracle, for a long time honor was the thing that held my race together. The Humans…They may have honor amongst themselves, but they must be exterminated. Our ancients, your Creators, must not have realized the danger that lay within. I have been in this military for a long time, but after this, I will go home, to live my life out in peace, back at my home planet. I hope, for the Covenant, that this Creator can answer our prayer." I replied, and sat on the small patch of grass.

"Before us, there was another race. My creators called it: "The Mantle", because of the base they had on our culture. The Precursors created our race, and we preserved it. Life is complex, and we must be determined to take it for our own." The Oracle said, and right then and there, the conversation ended.

We sat there, gazing into the sterile planet that Installation 06 was held in place by. Then the Oracle turned to me.

"We will slaughter them all." It replied

I nodded, and the Oracle and I vanished in a golden rim of light.


End file.
